The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-01-14
A NIGHT ADVENTURE.

WIN ite ucdsuTo u JOY uun bOrFOW.
Boston Transcript.
A NIGHT ADVENTURE.
It was drawing to the close of dull
December day when my grandfather,
having satisfactorily completed the
business which had taken him to Sails
bury. and having settled his bill at the
Old Bell Inn, where he always staid,
mounted his gig. and, first seeing that
his pistols were well primed-a neces-
sary precaution in those days-set off on
his long. cold journey. His destination
was c., about twenty miles from
Salisbury, and to reach which he had to
cross part Of the plain. ! am speaking,
be it remembered, of some eighty years
ago, when night journey, even If only
of q few miles, in lonely and unfre-
quented part of the country was mat
ter of no small danger.
The depredations Of the knights of
the road" were frequent. and murder
was often the sequel of robbery. My
grandfather was young and strong
man, well armed. and felt but little
fear, his business besides obliging him
to be often on the road Nevertheless,
as the evening closed in and the cold
grew more intense, accompanied by
slight but steadily increasing fall of
snow he could not help wishing that
the end of his journey was nearer.
His mare, Jenny, was as good and
fast an animal as ever went between
the shafts, and tonight, as if aware of
and sharing her masters anxiety to
then usual. He had not advanced far
on the plain when he saw q little in adj
vance of him the figure of pedestrian
going in the same direction as himself.
As he drew nearer he saw, to his sur
prise, that it was female, a tall wo-
man. wearing a large fur cloak and
hood.
My grandfather, naturally surprised
at meeting woman-apparently lady
in so unlikely spot. drew in his
reins, and bending down was on the
point Of accosting her. when suddenly
throwing back her hood, she said:
Pardon me. sir. but would you kindly
give me lift if you are going towards
muot Do luctC JO-uiSutS duu
by some mischapce have unfortunately
missed my brother, who was to have
met me at Salisbury; we may yet per-
haps overtake him."
Ny grandfather of course Immediately
assented, not ill-pleased to have met
with a companion, and helped the lady
in. She sprang lightly up and they
proceeded on their way.
On a closer inspection he discovered
that she was handsome young woman
of % or % years Of age-a brunei with
good features, large dark eyes. and
curling black hair. She was chatty,
agreeable, and unembarrassed.
She informed my grandfather that
she was staying with friends near C.,
that she was an orphan daughter of
Captain in the army, and had come to
see her brother before he joined his
regiment which was under marching
orders. She seemed to be-for a lady
no mean Judge of horse. and com.
plimented my grandfather on ''Jenny's''
good points He was delighted at hav.
ing so Unexpectedly met with such q
charming companion; the conversation
did not flag. and presently. as was ma
tural, turned upon the dangers of the
road. and the recent feats of the high
waymen who infested it.
Il was in the midst of an interesting
account which she was giving of an
adventure which had befallen her
brother in connection with these gentry
that, in illustrating some movement OF
his, her cloak fell back and disclosed
q pair of pistols. doubtless well-primed.
My grandfather's suspicious were i'm.
mediately aroused, the more so as it was
pretty generally known that on these
Journeys he usually carried large sum
Of money. He was a man of prompt
action; and, rapidly forming the con-
clusion that he had been duped, and
that his property, and most likely also
his life, was at stake, formed asproject
of escaping. il possible, the imminent
danger. He quietly and unobserved by
his companion drew off his glove, and
then, feigning to discover its loss. ex
claimed:
"How annoying; l have dropped my
glove, and with it my ring. 1t is Of
value, and would not lose it for the
world. Will you kindly descend and
find it for me; it must be close by.
dare not trust the reins to lady's hand,
| the mare is SO fresh tonight"
She willingly complied with his re-
quest. Scarcely had she fairly reached
| the ground when o touch of the whip
and word which the mare well knew
made her put forth her utmost speed
| not however, before q bullet whizzeC
past his ear, followed by impeachment
which the rapidly increasing distanct
soon silenced. An hours sharp driving
brought my grandfather to his owr
comfortable domicile. ..
It was but few months after this
occurrence that the benighted lady Of
the Plain, alias George -, one of tn,
most daring and desperate of highway
men, was captured, tried, and executct
at the county Jail. My grandfather hat
many another nocturnal journey. bu
never again met with so stirring an ad
venture as this: although he said tina
he never saw tall dark girl with hand
some eyes without thinking of his mar
row escape that December night vi
Salisbury Plain.
A San Diego citizen bought a tickle
for San Francisco aud sat down on tn,
pier until the boat should be ready L
start. He became much interested IL
seeing the work going on. the ,passe n
GERS burrying down, the gangplanl
1ulled in and the lines cast of, and ex
pressed pleasure at the sight of the biz
steamer rs she left the pier. Then h,
remembered he wasn't on board, bu
that his baggage was.
| A writer upon Southern Californii
al,nI b Z. l;..ln .i.-,.A q,